Groove cable

ABSTRACT

A cable system and method including a cable or a microduct provided within the groove extending vertically into, but not through, a pavement. The cable has a central strength member, at least one buffer tube stranded around the central strength member, an outerjacket surrounding the buffer tube and central strength member, and at least one transmission element provided within said at least one buffer tube. Provided within the microduct is a microduct cable including at least one transmission element. A cable including a central strength member, at least one buffer tube stranded around the central strength member, an outer jacket surrounding the buffer tube and central strength member, and at least one transmission element provided within said at least one buffer tube. The cable has a longitudinal thermal expansion force due to a change in temperature from 20° C. to 70° C. of less than 305 lbs when constrained.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application60/487,590, filed Jul. 17, 2003, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention generally relates to a transmission line cable for use ina groove.

BACKGROUND

Fiber optic cables have been traditionally placed at a depth of 4 to 6feet below the road surface in a conduit structure that involvesexcavation, refilling, and repairing of the road surface.

However, fiber optic cables have been recently installed within thepavement of a road in shallow grooves, or channels. These shallowgrooves are typically about 2 to 6 inches deep. Fiber optic cables thatare provided within a shallow groove in the pavement can be provided toindividual customers at a lower cost than cables provided in deepergrooves.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,691 (“the '691 patent”), for example, is directed toa method for introducing a micro-cable into a shallow channel in theground. However, the fiber optic cables of the '691 patent have not beendesigned specifically for use in the harsh pavement environment. Becauseshallow groove cables are provided within the pavement, the cables aresubject to extreme temperatures caused by the pavement's exposure to thesun. Not only do these extreme temperatures cause the cable to rapidlydegrade, but in addition, the high temperatures also can cause the cableto expand linearly.

This expansion can cause the cable to press against the fill material,such as a sealant, provided in the groove above the cables. If thelinearly expanding cable pushes against the fill material with a strongenough force, the cable can cause the fill material to push above theroad's surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, desirable to provide a groove cable that is able towithstand the high temperatures of pavement yet be installed in a mannerthat is fast and inexpensive.

According to the invention, a cable system and method includes a cablehaving a central strength member, at least one buffer tube strandedaround the central strength member, an outer jacket surrounding thebuffer tube and central strength member, and at least one transmissionelement provided within said at least one buffer tube; and a pavementhaving a groove extending vertically into, but not through, thepavement. The cable is provided within the groove.

According to another aspect of the invention, a cable includes a centralstrength member, at least one buffer tube stranded around the centralstrength member, an outer jacket surrounding the buffer tube and centralstrength member, and at least one transmission element provided withinsaid at least one buffer tube. The cable has a longitudinal thermalexpansion force due to a change in temperature from 20° C. to 70° C. ofless than 305 lbs when constrained.

According to another aspect of the invention, a cable system and methodincludes a microduct; a microduct cable including at least onetransmission element, the microduct cable provided within the microduct;and a pavement having a groove extending vertically into, but notthrough, the pavement. The microduct is provided within the groove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages, nature and various additional features of the inventionwill appear more fully upon consideration of the illustrative embodimentof the invention which is schematically set forth in the drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a first embodiment of the groove cable;

FIG. 2 is a chart which shows estimates of the temperature at 50 mmbelow the surface of the asphalt compared with temperatures at thesurface of the asphalt;

FIG. 3 is a graph that compares the resistance to mechanical breakdownunder accelerated aging of several boosted-stabilizer PolybutyleneTerephthalate (“PBT”) buffer materials with ordinary commercial PBT;

FIG. 4 is a graph that compares the oxidation induction time (“OIT”) ofboosted buffer materials with that of normal commercial materials;

FIG. 5 is an Arrhenius projection of the lifetime of an impact-modifiedPolypropylene (“iPP”) buffer material with booster stabilizers;

FIG. 6 shows the results of a test to examine the potential damage tobuffer tubes caused by exposure to the heat of molten sealant pouredinto the groove following the cable installation;

FIG. 7A shows theoretically modeled “free” linear expansion values foran 800 ft. length of the cable items;

FIG. 7B shows theoretically modeled longitudinal thermal expansion forcevalues for certain cable items;

FIGS. 8A and 8B show a cable groove positioned at the curb junctionbetween the pavement and the sidewalk;

FIG. 9 shows the cable groove following the curvature of the road;

FIGS. 10A and 10B show a cutter that is used for cutting a groove withinpavement;

FIG. 11 shows a cable installation tool;

FIG. 12A shows a loose tube cable positioned within the groove of a roadpavement;

FIG. 12B shows a loose tube cable positioned within the groove of asidewalk pavement;

FIGS. 13A-13D show a sealant removal tool and the groove fill materialusing the sealant removal tool;

FIGS. 14A-E show cable maintenance loops and loop sections of the groovewithin which the maintenance loops are positioned; and

FIG. 15 shows fiber drops provide transmission lines to a building.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the invention is open to various modifications and alternativeforms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of examples in thedrawings and are described herein in detail. There is no intent to limitthe invention to the particular forms disclosed.

FIG. 1 generally shows a first embodiment of a loose tube cable 1 havinga central strength member 20, buffer tubes 10 loosely stranded aroundthe central strength member 20, and transmission elements 30 providedwithin the buffer tubes 10. In addition, a jacket 40 is provided aroundthe buffer tubes 10, a reinforcement layer 42 is provided between thejacket 40 and the buffer tubes 10, and a filling compound 32 is providedwithin the tubes 10.

Furthermore, one of the buffer tubes 10 can include electricallyconductive wires 34, such as copper wires. These wires 34 allow theposition of the cable 1 to be determined by sensing a currenttransmitted through the wires 34.

As discussed below, the combination of materials that make up the cable1 allows the cable 1 to withstand the extreme temperatures of roadpavement. As discussed above, pavement that is heated by the sun oftenis subject to extreme temperature conditions. Not only is the pavementsurface heated to a high temperature by the sun, but the hightemperature extends below the surface. For example, FIG. 2 is a chartshowing an estimate of the temperature at a position 50 mm below thesurface of asphalt pavement compared with the temperature at the surfaceof the pavement according to the BELLs2 asphalt temperature model.

The BELLs2 Asphalt Temperature Model is an accepted tool for estimatingthe temperature of the pavement during the course of a day. The BELLs2Asphalt Temperature Model considers air temperature, degree of directsolar radiation, thickness of the pavement, thermal re-irradiation fromthe surface of the pavement, and other existing factors when calculatingthe temperature rise of the pavement. On an average sunny summer day thepavement surface temperature can exceed 50° C. On hot days in moretropical climates, the temperature can be much higher.

As temperatures rise, excessive thermal expansion of the cable in thegroove generates a buckling force in the cable, since the cable isconstrained from expanding linearly by changes in direction of thegroove or by termination points. These thermal expansion buckling forcescan be large enough to drive the cable up through the pavement in whichit resides. By selecting the proper combination of protective plasticmaterials and rigid strength materials, the thermal expansion and thethermal expansion force of the cable driven by temperature increases isdesigned to be minimized. Minimizing the thermal expansion and thermalexpansion force minimizes the differential strain at the ends of thecable span and the force generated on the sealant when the cable isconstrained from expanding. This is accomplished by minimizing thedifference between the coefficient of thermal expansion of the overallcable with that of concrete or asphalt, the most common pavementmaterials. The coefficient of thermal expansion of concrete is typicallyabout 10 μm/m° C., while the coefficient of thermal expansion of asphaltis typically about 40 μm/m° C., as is shown in Table 3, below. A secondkey criteria is to minimize the effective Young's Modulus of the cableso that for a given cable coefficient of thermal expansion, theresulting thermal expansion force for a constrained cable will beminimized.

In contrast, previous cable designs have not considered the importanceof a reduced thermal expansion force generated by the cable. Asdiscussed above in the Background Section, if a cable has a high thermalexpansion force, then the cable will buckle and displace the fillmaterial that is positioned above the cable when the pavement is at anelevated temperature.

Although the invention is not limited in this respect, according to thefirst embodiment the transmission elements 30 are optical fibers 30,such as glass and/or plastic fibers. For example, other transmissionelements 30, such as a coaxial cable or other electrical conductors canbe used.

The structure of the loose tube cable 1 is preferably optimized toprovide the maximum number of transmission elements 30 while still beingable to fit within a groove having a small width. According to the firstembodiment of the invention, the cable's overall diameter is less than12.7 mm (0.5 inches). However, the invention is not limited in thisrespect.

Furthermore, the cable 1 is preferably designed to so that it is capableof bending without fracturing at a bend radius of 4.2 inches. This smallbend radius allows the cable to follow the curvature of a road and to beprovided with maintenance loops 50 at predetermined locations, which arediscussed below.

In order to allow the cable to be bent to a small radius withoutfracturing, the central strength member 20 has a small diameter andtherefore, a small bend strain to avoid fracture of the central memberimmediately or over time due to fatigue. According to the firstembodiment, the central strength member 20 has a diameter of 3.0 mm orless, and a bend strain of less than 1.5% when the cable is placed in a4.2 inch bend radius.

The limitation of 3.0 mm or less applies to the diameter of the centralstrength member, excluding any polymer coatings (i.e. polyethylene,polypropylene) which may be applied around the central strength member.However, the invention is not limited in this respect.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the buffer tubes 10 arestranded around the central strength member 20 in a reverse oscillatedpattern, but the invention is not limited in this respect. The laylength(e.g., distance required to complete one revolution of the strand aroundthe diameter of the central strength member 20) of the buffer tubes 10of the first embodiment is preferably between 40 and 130 mm. Thisstructure allows the transmission element 30 strain inside the buffertube 10 to be maintained at 0.2% or less both when the cable is in astraight position and when the cable it bent to a small bend radius of4.2 inches.

In contrast to the first embodiment, previous shallow groove cables havehad a single tube provided with optical fibers. However, having a loosetube cable 1 with buffer tubes 10 allows the transmission elements 30within a buffer tube 10 of the loose tube cable 1 to extend away fromthe rest of the cable 1 as a lateral take-off, or drop, to a location,such as an office property, without having to sever and splice the otherfibers in the cable.

Although the invention is not limited to the specific material of thecable, some exemplary materials that can be used with the firstembodiment are discussed below.

The central strength member 20 can be a dielectric material. Forexample, the central strength member 20 can be made of a glassreinforced plastic composite (“GRP”), such as the LIGHTLINE;manufactured by NEPTCO, or the GRP manufactured by FIBERLINE-COUSIN.However, the central strength member 20 is not limited to dielectricmaterials. For example, the central strength member 20 can also made ofa metal, such as steel as long as the bend strain of the member 20 doesnot exceed the yield stress of the metal when the member 20 is bent to aradius of 4.2 inches. The yield stress of a high strength steel istypically 200 to 300 kpsi.

The material used for the buffer tubes 10 can be, for example,Polybutylene Terephthalate (“PBT”) or Polypropylene (“PP”). One exampleof a suitable PP is a nucleated ethylene-polypropylene copolymer, whichis manufactured by EXXON as ESCORENE PP 7032 KN and is manufactured byAMOCO as ACCTUF 10-3243. Furthermore, a nucleated, semi-crystallinePolyolefin can also be used.

In addition, according to the first embodiment, the reinforcement layer42 includes fiberglass composite yarns (“glass”), such as HERKUFLEXmanufactured by PPG. Furthermore, the jacket can be made of ahigh-density polyethylene (“HDPE”), such as DHDA 6318 BK manufactured byDow Chemical Co. The filling compound 32 is generally a water blockingmaterial, such as a gel. Alternatively, a super-absorbent polymer, sucha poly-sodium acrylate, in powder form or attached to a carrier elementmay be used to block the ingress of water.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, instead of the loosetube cable 1, a microduct cable is provided within a microduct. Themicroduct may be made of a material similar to the jacket materialdiscussed above. The microduct is provided within the shallow groove.

A microduct is a tube that is used house a microduct cable forpoint-to-point applications. The microduct can be installed within thepavement before the cable having transmission elements is placed withinthe microduct, or the microduct cable can be included within themicroduct at the time of installation.

There are several benefits of installing a microduct and microduct cableinto the groove in lieu of a loose tube groove cable. First, themicroduct cable can be more easily removed from the pavement than theloose tube groove cable in the event cable removal is desirable. Forexample, it may be necessary to repair or upgrade the capacity orperformance of the cable. In addition, the microduct/microduct cablesolution allows the deferral of capital cost of the cable until the needfor transmission occurs. An example of such deferred capital investmentis where an operator is installing a groove cable access network butexpects the number of customers for transmission to increaseprogressively over time. In this case, the network of microducts can beinstalled in the grooves during the initial installation and thenmicroduct cables installed into the microducts in the future ascustomers/subscribers are obtained. Like the loose tube cable 1,discussed above, the microduct and microduct cable must also be able towithstand the pavement's high temperatures.

Cable Resistance to Temperature

Only buffer tube materials that can withstand degradation when subjectto high temperatures should be used in shallow grooves within thepavement. For example, although PBT is a commonly used buffer tubematerial, grades of PBT that are ordinarily used are only moderatelystabilized against hydrolytic degradation of the material, which is amechanism greatly accelerated by high temperature in the presence ofmoisture.

Strengthened stabilizer systems for PBT have been developed and appliedin this invention to protect the material against hydrolysis. FIG. 3shows the resistance to mechanical breakdown under accelerated aging ofseveral boosted-stabilizer PBT's compared with ordinary commercial PBT.PBT grades suitable for fabricating fiber optic buffer tubes exhibitultimate strain levels of 250 percent or higher before exposure toaggressive environments. With most commercial grades of PBT, the resultof the hydrolytic breakdown of the polymer structure during 45 days ofaging at 85° C./85% RH is a drastic loss of ultimate strain orelongation at break, the ultimate strain falling to <20 percent withinthe first 21 days of aging and to less than 5 percent after 45 daysaging. Generally, the danger of fracture due to buffer tubeembrittlement is significant if the ultimate elongation of the tubematerial is less than 5 percent. The boosted-stabilizer PBT's canmaintain ultimate strain levels of greater than 100 percent and greaterthan 10 percent at 30 days and 45 days aging, respectively. Morepreferably, suitable choices for the stabilizer package provide forultimate strains of greater than 200 percent and greater than 20 percentat 30 days and 45 days aging, respectively. Most preferably, theboosted-stabilizer package can provide for the retention of ultimatestrain at greater than 300 percent and greater 50 percent after 30 daysand 45 days aging, respectively. The invention is not limited to theseparticular ratios of ultimate strain retained after 30 days and 45 daysaging, but these ratios illustrate and generally define the effects ofthe boosted-stabilizer on the ultimate properties of the PBT material.The importance is that if it becomes necessary to access the cable aftera significant period of service in the frequently-hot pavement and therehas been an accelerated hydrolytic breakdown of the buffer tubematerial, handling the cable, especially in the coiled slack loops,risks rupturing the buffer tubes if the boosted-stabilizer PBT is notused.

Impact-modified polypropylene (“iPP”) can also used be in optical fibercable buffer tubes. While polypropylene is not attacked by moisture,high temperatures can render the ordinarily used grades of iPPvulnerable to oxidative degradation. Therefore, boosted stabilizer iPPsystems have been developed.

The widely-used measure of the buffer tube material's degradation whensubjected to high temperatures is the oxidation induction time (“OIT”)test. Oxidation induction time for optical fiber buffer tubes isgenerally measured at 200° C. During the oxidation induction time test,a small sample of the tested material is placed in a differentialscanning calorimeter. A differential scanning calorimeter is a devicethat measures the energy necessary to maintain the sample at sometemperature.

During the test, first, the sample under an inert (nitrogen) atmosphereis taken to 200° C., and then the testing atmosphere is changed to pureoxygen. The energy input to the sample to keep it at 200° C. ismonitored during the test.

When the stabilizers are consumed, the sample begins to oxidize andgenerates its own heat, so less energy is required to keep it at 200° C.When this occurs, the monitoring instrument registers an exotherm, whichis a release of energy from the chemical reaction of oxidation.

The measured OIT is the time from when the sample temperature firstreaches 200° C. to the beginning of the exotherm. Most commercial iPP'sexhibit OIT's of 30 minutes or less at 200° C. However, the buffer tubematerials of this invention have been boosted to greater than 60 minutesOIT at 200° C. FIG. 4 shows a comparison of the OIT of boosted materialssuitable for this invention compared with that of normal commercialmaterials.

Furthermore, FIG. 5 is an Arrhenius projection of the lifetime of iPPwith booster stabilizers. Using the breakdown in mechanical propertiesas the criterion for failure of the iPP, an Arrhenius regression forvariously aged specimens of the iPP with boosted stabilizersdemonstrates that the buffer tubes have a projected lifetime of over 30years even if subjected to a constant temperature of 50° C. for theentire period.

Furthermore, in order to reduce the possibility of the jacket 40 (firstembodiment) or microduct (second embodiment), hereinafter (“ductmaterial”) being damaged should the hot sealant fill material come intocontact with the cable during the sealing of the groove, the ductmaterial should be made of a material that is able to withstand atemperature of 180° C. Some examples of materials that can provide thistype of resistance are a material with a melt point above 180° C.,preferably 200° C., or a cross-linked material.

In contrast, commonly available duct materials are manufactured withmelt temperatures of about 120° C.±20° C. These duct materials can beeasily damaged in locations where the hot sealant comes into contactwith the jacket material.

In order to examine the potential damage to the expected lifetime of thecable core materials that would be caused by exposure to the heat ofmolten sealant poured to the groove following the cable installation,samples of the cable design were prepared with a thermocouple insertedat the first layer of buffer tubes 10 of the first embodiment. Thesamples were then placed in a channel simulating a groove having a widthof 1.25 inch and depth of 2.5 inch so that the cable sample was exposedto more molten sealant than a cable would be exposed to during actualconditions of sealing a groove.

The sealant was heated to the recommended temperature of 180° C. andthen poured over the cable samples. The buffer tube temperature wasmonitored until the cable sample's temperature returned toward ambienttemperature.

FIG. 6 shows the results of this test. It is noted that the maximumtemperature reached is about 110° C., and that the total time spent atelevated temperature due to the pouring of molten sealant is very short,and as such has an insignificant impact on cable lifetime with theproper choice of component materials.

In view of the extreme temperature conditions to which the buffer tubematerial is exposed, the material of the buffer tubes 10 should have anOIT of greater than 60 minutes at 200° C. in a 100% oxygen environment.Using a buffer tube material with an OIT greater than 60 minutes ensuresthat the cable is reliable even when it is subjected to hightemperatures and high humidity, such as for example 55° C. with ahumidity of 80%.

Cable Thermal Expansion Force

In addition, a cable with a minimized thermal expansion force issuitable for use in a shallow groove within, but not extending through apavement. Cables generally elongate as the temperature rises andcontract as the temperature falls. The amount of elongation orcontraction of the cable is proportional to the degree of temperaturechange, generalized for example as from T1 to T2, and to the coefficientof thermal expansion (“CTE”) of the cable structure.Elongation/contraction=CTE×(T1−T2)   (1)

Since a cable is a composite of many different materials (plastics,strength materials, anti-buckling materials), the CTE of the entirecable depends on the combination of the individual properties andrelative amounts of each component material, and is calculated using arule-of-mixtures.CTE=sum of (A×E×a)/sum of (A×E)   (2)where: A is the cross sectional area of each material in the cable (sqinches);

E is the elastic modulus of each material in the cable (lb/sq inch); and

a is the coefficient of expansion of each of the materials (1/deg F.).

It is noted that because the latter two properties, E and a, arethemselves dependent on the temperature of the material, the cable CTEis not one number, but varies with the temperature. Numericalintegration techniques are used to determine the cable CTE as a functionof temperature and, as such, the amount of cable elongation orcontraction that occurs between two chosen temperature limits.

Table 1 below shows typical values for material modulus (E), atdifferent temperatures: TABLE 1 Material Modulus Material ModulusMaterial Modulus (E) (psi) at Material (E) (psi) at −40° F. (E) (psi) at70° F. 160° F. Glass Reinforced  7.2 × 10⁶  7.2 × 10⁶  7.2 × 10⁶ Plastic(GRP) Polypropylene 378,000 238,000 154,000 Glass 10.3 × 10⁶ 10.3 × 10⁶10.3 × 10⁶ High Density 367,000 175,000  45,300 Polyethylene (HDPE)

Table 2, below shows typical values for coefficient of expansion (a), atdifferent temperatures. TABLE 2 Coefficient of Coefficient of Expansion(a) Expansion (a) (1/° F.) at (1/° F.) at Material −40° F. 160° F. GlassReinforced Plastic 3.3 × 10⁻⁶ 3.3 × 10⁻⁶ (GRP) Polypropylene  12 × 10⁻⁶ 69 × 10⁻⁶ Glass 5.5 × 10⁻⁷ 5.5 × 10⁻⁷ High Density Polyethylene  36 ×10⁻⁶ 146 × 10⁻⁶  (HDPE)

The cable expansion or contraction is calculated using equation 1. Asthe cable expands or contracts, it exerts a push or pull force onanything that restricts its movement. The push or pull force iscalculated according to the following equation:F=elongation or contraction×sum of (E×A)   (3a)

By substituting equation 1 into this equation, the equation becomes:F=CTE×(T1−T2)×sum of (E×A)   (3b)where: F is the push/pull force;

CTE is the composite coefficient of thermal expansion of the cable fromequation 2;

(T1−T2) is the temperature difference; and

sum of (E×A) is the sum of the modulus times the cross sectional area ofeach cable component.

If the cable materials have a high modulus, then even though the cablemight have a relatively low amount of elongation or contraction due tohaving a low CTE, the cable may have a high push/pull force F.Therefore, the change in dimension of such a cable is not easilyresisted or restricted.

Furthermore, if a cable material has a low modulus, even though thecable might have a relatively high amount of elongation or contractiondue to having a high CTE, the cable would have a low push/pull force F.The change in dimension of this type of cable is easily resisted orrestricted.

Table 3, below shows a comparison of the CTE of an embodiment of theloose tube cable 1 and microduct/microduct cable of the presentinvention compared with the CTE of the cable of the '691 patent andtypical pavement materials. While the values listed for the cable 1 andmicroduct cable have been correlated with actual testing, the values forthe cable of the '691 and the microduct (standard HDPE) are theoreticalvalues that have not been experimentally verified. TABLE 3 Coefficientof Thermal Material Expansion (μm/m ° C.) ′691 patent cable 19 Loosetube cable 13 HDPE Duct 140 Microduct Cable 9 Asphalt 40 Concrete 10

The CTE values of Table 3 assume relative “free expansion” of thedifferent items. “Free expansion” means that item has been placed on africtionless surface without any restrictions from freely expanding inthe longitudinal direction.

FIG. 7A shows the theoretically modeled “free” linear expansion of an800 ft. length of the cable items listed in Table 1. The values shown inFIG. 7A assume that the items were placed on a frictionless surface on amoderate day, i.e., 20° C. (68° F.), and then heated to a temperature of70° C. (158° F.). It is notable that because the microduct (HDPE duct)is exclusively a polymer, it is the item that is the most sensitive totemperature fluctuations and expands the most. In contrast, the '691cable and the loose tube cable 1 resist thermal expansion because theyhave rigid component members with relatively low coefficients of thermalexpansions, respectively.

The linear expansion of an 800 ft. run length due to a change intemperature from 20° C. to 70° C. of the loose tube cable 1 of the firstembodiment should be less than the 0.7 ft. of the cable of the '691patent. In addition it is preferable that the linear expansion of an 800ft. run length of the loose tube cable 1 of the first embodiment, due toa change in temperature from 20° C. to 70° C., is less than or equal to0.5 ft. Furthermore, the linear expansion of an 800 ft. run length ofthe microduct (HDPE duct) of the second embodiment, due to a change intemperature from 20° C. to 70° C., should be less than or equal to 5.6ft. In addition, it is preferable that the linear expansion of an 800ft. run length of the microduct cable of the first embodiment, due to achange in temperature from 20° C. to 70° C., is less than or equal to0.3 ft.

However, a more realistic model of the effect of temperature on theitems is based on a comparison of the linear expansion force of eachitem. The linear expansion force takes into account the axial stiffnessof each item and the longitudinal force exerted as the item is heated.When a cable and/or a duct is installed in a groove, the movement of thecable is restricted in all directions.

Lengthwise, the restriction may be the ends of the groove, 90 degreeturns of the groove, or cable termination housings. On three sidesaround the cable, the road pavement restricts the cable and/or duct.However, one or more backing rods and a filling material, or sealant,are the only restrictions on the top side of the cable and/or duct.Strongly restricted from expanding strictly lengthwise in a straightline, the cable will buckle in the direction of least resistance. Sincethe backing rods and sealant are the weakest restrictions, the backingrods and sealant give way if the expansion force is too strong.

FIG. 7B shows the theoretically modeled longitudinal thermal expansionforce of the cable items listed in Table 1. It is notable that, althoughthe longitudinal thermal expansion force is not dependent on the lengthof the items, according to buckling theory an item with a greater lengthwill buckle more readily than an item with a smaller length. Thisbuckling has been observed for portions of long lengths of the cable ofthe '691 patent, which tend to push out of the groove.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the thermal expansion force in pounds due to achange in temperature from 20° C. to 70° C. of the loose tube cable 1 ofthe first embodiment should be less than the 305 lbs. of the cable ofthe '691 patent. In addition, it is preferable that the thermalexpansion force in pounds due to a change in temperature from 20° C. to70° C. of the loose tube cable 1 of the first embodiment is less than orequal to 35 lbs. Furthermore, the thermal expansion force in pounds dueto a change in temperature from 20° C. to 70° C. the microduct (HDPEduct) of the second embodiment should be less than or equal to 22 lbs.In addition, it is preferable that the thermal expansion force in poundsdue to a change in temperature from 20° C. to 70° C. of the microductcable of the first embodiment is less than or equal to 17 lbs.

Installation Method

A method of installing the cable 1 of the first embodiment within agroove 60 within the pavement 50 is described below.

As shown in FIG. 8A, if the pavement 70 is a road pavement, then it ispreferred that the groove 60 is provided at a position adjacent to thecurb surface 80. FIG. 8B shows an embodiment in which a single groove 60is provided at the junction 72 between the road pavement 70 and the curbsurface 80. By providing a cable 1 at the junction 72 between the roadpavement 70 and the curb surface 80, the cable can be easily installed.This junction is the strongest point of the road infrastructure and thepreferred location from a highway engineering perspective.

As shown in FIG. 9, the grooves are cut in a clean radius sweep of thepavement 70 at the junction 72 between the road pavement 70 and curbsurface 80. This location of the cable groove 60 allows the cable toturn corners with the roadway and minimizes any cutting into theroadway's travel lanes, which can weaken the roadway structure.

As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a small, maneuverable cutter 62 having asingle blade 64 or a combination of two blades 64 mounted next to eachother is used to cut the grooves. The blades 64 of the cutter 62 arepreferably diamond tipped, but the invention is not limited in thisrespect. The cutter 62 includes blades 64 fastened to a rotatingimpeller 66 by a fastening nut 65. Rolling wheels 67 allow the cutter toroll along-the length of the cut groove 60.

Next, as is shown in FIG. 11, the cable is positioned within the groove60 using an installation insertion tool 90. The installation toolincludes a handle 92 and roller 94 that positions the cable within thegroove 60. The appropriate size of the roller 94 varies with the depthof the groove 60, i.e., a larger diameter roller is used if the groove60 is deeper and a smaller diameter roller is used if the groove 60 isshallower.

As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the groove 60 is provided so that thegroove extends vertically into but not through pavement 70. The groovewidth W is typically ½ inch or greater, but the invention is not limitedin this respect. The preferred groove depth D is between 60 to 70% ofthe total thickness of the pavement. If the groove depth D is greaterthan 70% of the total thickness of the pavement 70, then the pavementcan be weakened to potentially unacceptable strength levels. Typically,the groove depth D is 2 to 6 inches.

As shown in FIG. 12A, if the pavement 70 is a road pavement, thepavement can be can be blacktop, such as asphalt or concrete, but theinvention is not limited in this respect. In addition, if the pavement70 is a road surface that is likely to be subject to a milling andoverlay procedure, the depth D of the groove should be deep enough sothat the cable is below the foreseeable milling depth.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 12B, the groove 60 can also be cut into asidewalk pavement. If the pavement 70 is a sidewalk pavement, thepavement can be cement, brick, or stone, but the invention is notlimited in this respect. If the pavement is cement, brick, or stone, itis preferred that the depth D of the groove does not exceed 2 inches.The groove 60 can be cut directly into the sidewalk pavement, cut at theseams between the prefabricated sidewalk panels, occur at the sidewalkexpansion joints, or cut between bricks of a brick sidewalk.

In addition, once the cable is provided within the groove 60 one or morebacking rods 102 are provided on top of the cable. The backing rods 102do not hold the cable in place, but instead provide a barrier thatprotects the cable from any filling material, or sealant, 100. Althoughthe cable can withstand direct contact with the fill material 100 withina certain temperature tolerance, as discussed above with respect toCable Resistance to Temperature, it is desirable that the cable is notin contact with the fill material 100. This provides a “floating” cablethat is able to move somewhat, which is helpful if the there is streetmaintenance or if the depth D of the groove 60 changes.

The fill material 100 can be bitumen, silica, or loop detector fill, butthe invention is not limited in this respect. Furthermore, if thepavement 70 is a sidewalk-pavement, it is preferred that the fillmaterial 100 is silica, but again the invention is not limited in thisrespect and other materials such a bitumen can be used instead. It ispreferred that the sealant depth is 1 to 2 inches.

As shown in FIGS. 13A-13D, after installation of the cable 1, it is easyto access the groove cable should that become necessary. The cable canbe accessed by removing the fill material 100 using a sealant removaltool 110.

FIGS. 14A-E show cable maintenance loops 50 and groove loop sections160. The maintenance loops 50 provide a cable slack, which enables quickrestoration in the case the cable is cut. To repair the cut line, thecable is exposed and a section of extra cable is extended from one, or anumber of maintenance loops, thus mitigating the need to completelyreplace the cable.

The loose tube cable 1 can be provided within the loop section 160 ofthe groove 60 because, as described above, the cable 1 is capable ofbending to a very small radius without fracturing.

As shown in FIG. 14B, the cable 1 can be wound or looped multiple timeswithin the loop section 160 of the groove 60. The amount of cable slackis dictated by the depth D of the groove 60. That is, deeper grooves 60allow the cable 1 to loop within the groove loop 11. Therefore, it ispreferred that the maintenance loop 50 is cored in deeper sections ofpavement infrastructure to where a 6″ to 8″ depth can be supportedwithout compromising the integrity of the paved surface. It is notedthat it is preferred that the loop section 160 have the same width (0.5inches for the embodiment shown in FIG. 14D) as the straight groove. Asshown in FIG. 14E, at least one backing rod 102 and the filling material100 are provided on top of the loops of the cable 1.

As shown in FIGS. 14B and C, these loop sections 160 are provided bycoring the pavement 70 with a cylindrical cutter. The tested embodimentshown in FIG. 14C has a 10 inch diameter. This loop section 62 providesup to a meter of cable slack.

As shown in FIG. 15, the method can be used, for example, to providefiber drops to one or more locations 200, such as a building.

Furthermore, the use of a loose tube cable 1 of the first embodimentallows one of the buffer tubes 10 to extend laterally from the maincable 300, providing a drop off 210 to the location 200, without havingto sever and splice the other fibers in the cable. This drop off 210 canbe interconnected to another fiber provider's cable at a location 220,such as a manhole, and then spliced into the building's 200 cablebackbone 230 before crossing an easement onto private property. A dropoff 211 can also be provided directly from the main cable 300 to thebuilding 200 by drilling a path from the cable to the building 200. Inaddition, the drop off 212 can be first run to a slack or splice point240, such as a fiber optic patch panel, and then run inside the buildingvia a conduit. It is preferable that the slack or splice point 240 iswithin 50 feet of the building 200.

It is of course understood that departures can be made from thepreferred embodiment of the invention by those of ordinary skill in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention that islimited only by the following claims.

For example, the microduct of the second embodiment can be installed ina manner similar to the method of installing the loose tube cablediscussed above. The microduct can be repaired by removing the sealantand backing rod from the groove, and then removing the microduct. Themicroduct is then reconnected with a shunt with the same inner diameterand slightly larger diameter than the duct being repaired. The repairedsection can be reinserted into the groove and sealed with a cold patchsealant.

1-64. (canceled)
 65. A cable system, comprising: a microduct; amicroduct cable including at least one transmission element, themicroduct cable provided within the microduct; and a pavement having agroove extending vertically into, but not through, the pavement; whereinthe microduct is provided within the groove.
 66. The cable system ofclaim 65, wherein the pavement is a road pavement.
 67. The cable systemof claim 65, wherein the pavement is a sidewalk pavement.
 68. The cablesystem of claim 65, further comprising a curb surface, wherein saidgroove is positioned at a curb junction adjacent to the curb surface.69. The cable system of claim 65, wherein said groove extends 70% orless of an overall depth of the pavement.
 70. The cable system of claim69, wherein said groove extends 60% or less of the overall depth of thepavement.
 71. The cable system of claim 65, wherein said groove includesa loop section, and wherein said cable extends around the groove of theloop section.
 72. The cable system of claim 65, further comprising atleast one backing rod provided within said groove on top of said cable.73. The cable system of claim 72, further comprising a filler materialprovided within said groove on top of said at least one backing rod. 74.The cable system of claim 65, wherein said at least one transmissionelement is an optical fiber.
 75. The cable system of claim 65, whereinsaid microduct has a thermal expansion force due to a change intemperature from 20° C. to 70° C. of less than or equal to 22 lbs whenconstrained.
 76. The cable system of claim 65, wherein said microductcable has a thermal expansion force due to a change in temperature from20° C. to 70° C. of less than or equal to 17 lbs when constrained. 77.The cable system of claim 65, wherein said microduct has a melttemperature above 180° C.
 78. The cable system of claim 77, wherein saidmicroduct has a melt temperature above 200° C.
 79. The cable system ofclaim 65, wherein said microduct cable has a linear expansion due to achange in temperature from 20° C. to 70° C. with respect to an 800 ft.run length of 0.3 ft or less. 80-88. (canceled)